Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/119349
■ ■ ■ ■ Review Maxon spared very little in this version. The improved dynamics is a lot of fun to use. I can play God by manipulating wind, turbulence, rotation, and gravity just by enabling and changing the properties in the AeroDynamics mode. The ability to create more realistic flying or breaking is easier to do. Cinema 4D R14 now has seamless integration with The Foundry's Nuke compositor. Since a lot of industry folks have made the move to Nuke, this is a huge plus. The only real negative I found was there is no node-based texturing. Artists who are used to this function will want it. I am hopeful Maxon will listen and add it in the future. Final Thoughts With over 200 enhancements and new abilities, like the sculpting tool set, the Camera Calibrator, and Photoshop integration, this a must-have upgrade for the Cinema 4D user. New users will enjoy its ease of use and amazing tool box. I have already put in a request with my boss to allow us to upgrade because I truly feel the sculpting tools will open minds to a new levels of creativity. ■ C LASS I FI E DS RESOURCE DIRECTORY LISTING By including the Resource Directory Listing in your media plan, you will be reaching key decision members within the digital content creation profession. These professionals use this section as a day-to-day resource when shopping in the industry. Contact us today for pricing and upcoming special issues. Laura Kalave P: 818.291.1162 Lkalave@copcomm.com 46 March/April 2013 CGW0313-review-edit-backpfin.indd 46 For additional product news and information, visit CGW.com HARDWARE INPUT DEVICE Feeling Good Wacom has unveiled the Bamboo Stylus feel, new to the Bamboo Stylus family that features two digital pens with Wacom's patented EMR (Electro-Magnetic Resonance) technology for tablets that integrate Wacom feel IT into their designs, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. These pressure-sensitive pens offer users a natural-feeling experience while taking notes, sketching, and navigating mobile devices. The Bamboo Stylus feel delivers a combination of "active" pen and sensor technology for a digital pen experience that emulates the feel of a traditional ballpoint pen or pencil. The pen sells for $39.95, while a carbon-fiber version costs $79.95. Wacom; www.wacom.com 3D PRINTERS Print Like a Pro 3D Systems has released eight new ProJet 3500 professional 3D printers that are equipped with its latest remote tablet controls for the production of functional plastic parts and investment casting wax patterns for professional-grade design and manufacturing applications. The new ProJet 3500 series incorporates 3D Systems' recently introduced ProJet HD MAX and CPX MAX technology platform, including its patented Multi-Jet Modeling (MJM) print technology, its production-grade printhead, advanced material management, tablet-like touch-screen controls, and remote tablet and smartphone connectivity. ProJet 3500 series printers are compatible with 3D Systems' VisiJet print materials that cover a wide array of applications. 3D Systems; www.3dsystems.com DISPLAYS Commercial Grade NEC Display Solutions of America has rolled out its next-generation, 32-inch, commercial-grade LCD display. NEC has also launched the V322-AVT and V322bundles with an integrated tuner and singleboard computer, respectively. The V322 features an Open Pluggable Specification (OPS)-compliant expansion slot for easily adding accessories and components. It also simplifies the installation, maintenance, and use of digital signage in a variety of environments. The display features 1366x768 highdefinition native resolution and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. The V322, V322-AVT, and V322-PC are priced at $619, $719, and $1479, respectively. NEC Display Solutions of America; www.necdisplay.com SOFTWARE LIGHTING CROWDS By Golaem! Golaem has released Golaem Crowd 2.2 for facilitating distributed rendering and supporting Solid Angle's Arnold. The software encapsulates all Golaem Crowd rendering proxies in a single installation package for easier deployment on renderfarms. Procedural rendering plug-ins and proxies are still free to use on an unlimited number of rendering nodes. Golaem Crowd 2.2 also includes new procedural shaders for automatic diversity generation in crowds. They are available for Arnold, Mental Ray, RenderMan, and V-Ray. Golaem; www.golaem.com ROTO/PAINT Painting New Picture SilhouetteFX LLC has released Silhouette V5, its largest upgrade in the product's history. Silhouette has been enhanced by a raster/vector hybrid paint system, semiautomatic 2D-to-3D conversion, a fresh look at shape-based warping and morphing, and the inclusion of planar tracking technology from Imagineer Systems' mocha Pro. Among Version 5's upgrades and new features are: Auto Paint, an optional S3D node incorporating RealityTools technology from 3D Impact Media (for an added cost of $3,995) to facilitate 2D-to-3D conversion and stereoscopic processing, the Silhouette Morph node for producing film-resolution warps in a few milliseconds (in its draft mode), and more. New licenses of V5 are priced at $1,495. SilhouetteFX; www.silhouettefx.com March/April 2013 46 3/14/13 12:05 PM